Page 45 of Markets & Mooncakes

"Where else would you have been?" I ask curiously.

"I think that's why it didn't take her long to figure it out. There is nowhere else."

Ember lets out a demanding chirp from the oven.

"We're having a conversation," I chide my dragon.

Nate laughs and pulls away from me. "I'm sure we can talk and feed her at the same time." He grabs the bowl of scraps and sets it down for Ember. "There you go."

She sets fire to it immediately, filling the air with the warm glow of dragon fire.

"You didn't doubt that I was going to come down here," I say, realising that he had Ember's snacks ready, just like usual.

A confused expression crosses his face. "Did you think about not coming?"

"No. Never."

"I didn't think you wouldn't either. Maybe it's what you said, last night was right."

I let out a breath. "I want more of that, Nate. More of being with you. Spending the evening with you just the two of us, waking up in your arms, all of it."

"We can have more of it," he promises, pulling me back to him. "We're going to make sure that we can have a lifetime of it."

"I know. I just want you to know that's what I want. What I really want." I reach up to touch his face. "I want you."

"You have me," he promises, putting his hand over mine.

I nod, not really knowing why I feel so emotional right now, especially when nothing has actually changed. No matter what had happened last night, we'd still be here today, baking and having sweet moments and everything.

"Do you want to bake?" he asks.

"We need to, I promised Lady Sun Jinglan that I would have tea and mooncakes with her and Veronica tomorrow." I can still hardly believe I suggested something so sociable, but I want to learn more about them and she is my best source.

He laughs. "All right, then we're going to make mooncakes." He steps away.

"I drank tea this morning," I blurt out.

He frowns. "Don't you always have tea with breakfast?"

"Not that kind of tea. I made the same mistake when Betsy asked if I wanted some. I mean the kind of tea that prevents babies."

"We didn't do anything that could result in a baby," he responds.

"I know that. I just wanted to drink it in case we decided to." I bite my bottom lip and look at him, hoping that this isn't a strange thing to be sharing with him.

"You didn't have to do that."

"I know. I wanted to. I liked how you made me feel. And if that felt good, then maybe other things would feel good. I don't mean that I want to do everything tonight, or tomorrow, or even next week, because I don't think I do. But at some point? Yes. If you would like that is."

He gives me a small smile. "I would. But only at your pace."

"And yours. If you're not ready..."

"Evie, just thinking about it makes me ready. I don't say that to rush you, because I'm not. But just know that we're doing this at your pace, with what you're comfortable with."

I step closer. "You'll tell me if you change your mind?" I check. "Or if you don't like something."

"Of course."